Confrontation - nobody likes it. What do you do with the one person who has an objection to everything before you even get a chance to explain? We like to invite them to join the Art Committee! That's because we know some of the most vocal opponents can eventually become our strongest advocates - if only they are given a chance to speak their mind.

 

In fact, that's part of the experience when working at Distinctive Art Source - we want to make sure that decision makers and stakeholders get a voice at the table. We believe a committee of diverse opinions and relevant experiences creates the most successful outcomes.

 

We understand that change is difficult. But we've learned that ownership helps people accept change. So we want nurses and other staff members to have a say in artwork on their unit.

 

We listen...we educate...we create. Ultimately, we guide committees through the process helping them to develop art programs that surpasses their goals. We take the time to understand personalities, procedures and cultures, and get people engaged from the very beginning.

 

What are you doing in your work to ensure that stakeholders are given a voice at the table? I'm curious to hear how it works in your environment.

 

DAS is fortunate to be working with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians to develop an art program that celebrates their artful culture and is rooted in history and nature.The healing art program at Cherokee Indian Hospital, will reflect the beauty of the land they've called their own since before Columbus's time.

 

One of the many things we've been impressed with while working with Cherokee Indian Hospital (CIH) is the staff's commitment to educate others about their community. During a recent visit, we had the opportunity to attend a Cultural Orientation for construction staff, where CIH admin took the time to create a historical presentation to help the construction team understand what they were becoming a part of. They want to be sure that everyone who participates in the building of the new facility understands the role they are playing in Cherokee history. This extra effort goes a long way in creating ownership and a sense of belonging on the project.

 

Cherokee Indian Hospital is owned and operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians through the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority since 2002. It serves approximately 10,000 enrolled members with Inpatient, Outpatient, Emergency, Dental, and Pharmacy services, to name a few. Cherokee Indian Hospital is accredited through the Joint Commission and recognized as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home. Cherokee Indian Hospital has provided services to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for over 75 years.   

 

Elsie Dresch, Early Spring

DAS is pleased to share the opening of long-time client Northeast Georgia Health System's newest facility - NGMC Braselton. The 100-bed hospital is the state's first net-new hospital, meaning not a relocation or replacement, in almost 20 years. The Braselton campus is also home to a medical office building, Medical Plaza 1, which houses an urgent care center, imaging center, endoscopy suite, outpatient lab and therapy services and more than 20 physician offices.

 

Distinctive Art Source continues to enjoy partnering with the NGHS team and working with local artists in their communites.

""Hiring an art consultant was a big deal for us - we had never even had a budget for art on a project before. And we had a general bias against consultants - we questioned the value. But Distinctive Art Source gave us personal attention and brought ideas and resources we didn't have. Now that I've been through the process, I can tell it would have been overwhelming to try to find and install the art on our own. The art program is a major contribution to the healing environment."

 

-  Carol K. Tulenko, Senior Project Manager, Real Estate Department, Presbyterian Healthcare Services

 

 

Kudos to Roger Ulrich, a pioneer in the field of healthcare art and evidence based design, on being named as a Changemaker award recipient by The Center for Health Design. Given annually at Healthcare Design Conference, the award honors individuals or organizations that have demonstrated exceptional ability to change the way healthcare facilities are designed and built, and whose work has broad impact on the advancement of healthcare design. 

 

Ulrich is currently guest professor of Architecture at the Center for Healthcare Architecture at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, as well as professor emeritus of architecture at Texas A&M University. He is the most frequently cited researcher internationally in evidence-based healthcare design. Here at Distinctive Art Source, we reference Ulrich's research on a regular basis - and we're grateful that he paved the way for art in healthcare!